


Crookshanks

by thegeekywhovian



Series: Little Moments in Time [8]
Category: Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Family, Family Feels, Kid Fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-28
Updated: 2018-09-28
Packaged: 2019-07-18 11:06:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 814
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16117127
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thegeekywhovian/pseuds/thegeekywhovian
Summary: Wherein eight-year-old Xaria decides the family and TARDIS needs a pet.





	Crookshanks

One day, eight year old Xaria Tyler decided that her family needed a pet.

 

Sure, she and her parents didn't lead a completely normal lifestyle. They now lived semi permanently in the TARDIS, only spending the school week and holidays on Earth, living in the guest house of her Nanna and Pop's mansion. Xaria loved her life, getting to discover new worlds- her best friend TARDIS took them wherever they wanted to go! She was even allowed to invite some of her friends on board for sleepovers!

 

But, she felt bad for TARDIS. Whose only friends were people who lived in or visited her. Mainly humans. She needed a friend that wasn't. Besides, Xaria really, truly wanted a cat. She adored them! Her friend Jessica had a beautiful calico cat, called Sora. Every time Xaria went to Jessica's house, Sora curled up into her lap, purring away.

 

So Xaria made it her mission to convince her parents to get a cat.

 

She approached the subject one evening, while her parents were in the media room, watching a film. Blocking the screen, she waited until her parents were finished kissing one another to notice she was there.

 

 _Ugh_. Xaria thought bitterly, embarrassed. _Do they always have to kiss?_

 

With a soft pop, Mum and Dad broke apart. Dad glanced up at her, and smirked.

 

“Can we help you with something, love?” He asked sweetly, noticing Xaria's disgusted looking face.

 

“Do you always have to kiss each other?”

 

Mum acknowledged her.

 

“We love each other. People who are in love kiss one another. One day you may understand,” she explained. Xaria shrugged, as Dad peered around her, trying to watch the film.

 

“Can we get a cat?” She asked nervously.

 

Dad's eyebrows shot up. With a sputtering sound, he managed, “No. No way.”

 

Mum buried her head into Dad's chest, shoulders shaking with silent laughter. Xaria couldn't get the joke.

 

“Why?” Xaria challenged her father.

 

The Doctor peered down at Rose, who was still laughing and grimaced. He patted her back.

 

“Alright. It's not funny,” he muttered, and Rose tried to stop the chortles. He turned back to his daughter, who was standing cross armed, still blocking the screen.

 

“Why? Wellll..” he drawled. “One day, Mum and Dad went to a place called New New Earth, in fact, New New York. We visited a hospital where cats were in charge.” Xaria's face lit up at that fact.

 

“No, it wasn't nice, love. They were cat nuns, and they did horrible things.” He stated, patting the space next to him on the sofa. Xaria leaped up, and Dad curled his arm around her shoulders.

 

“Like what?” She asked curiously.

 

Dad shuddered, and peered at Mum.

 

“They hurt people. That's all you need to know, Xaria.”

 

She could understand his reasoning, but wasn't sure how a _cat_ could do those things. Before she could tell her Dad that, Mum spoke up.

 

“What about the time you were jealous of a cat?” She asked with a cheeky grin.

 

He glared at her.

 

“Ugh,” he said, pulling a face. “I hoped you had forgotten about that.”

 

Xaria was interested, however. She blinked up at Mum, wanting to know the story.

 

So Mum told her about the time they went to London, just before the Olympics. Where she discovered a cat, and it disappeared into thin air.

 

“But why was Dad jealous?”

 

Mum broke into more laughter while Dad's chest made a grumbling noise underneath Xaria's ear.

 

“Because your Dad was jealous of a ginger cat!” She burst out, wiping her eyes.

 

With that revelation, Xaria joined her mother in teasing her Dad.

 

Mum finally settled down, before speaking.

 

“Why do you want a cat, sweetheart?” She asked, swatting Dad's arm at his pouting.

 

So Xaria told her parents. How she felt sad for TARDIS, and how she really loved to own a cat. She even made sure to promise to look after it.  

 

Mum and Dad looked at one another, having one of those silent conversations of theirs. Finally, Dad let out a deep breath.

 

“Well. If you promise to look after one. But, it can't stay on the TARDIS all the time. Think about the cat. It'll get lonely-”

 

“But, TARDIS will keep it company-”

 

Mum shook her head.

 

“Maybe, yeah. But, wouldn't you be missing out on spending time with it?” She pointed out.

 

Thinking it over, Xaria nodded slowly, still feeling sad about her best friend. Noticing her disappointment, Dad poked her in the ribs.

 

“Maybe we can think of something to make TARDIS seem less lonely, huh? Just promise me one thing, not a ginger cat. I don't want a reminder.”

 

So, the next weekend, after a lot of thought, the Tyler's moved permanently into the TARDIS. The Doctor and Rose had been thinking about the move for awhile now.

 

With their jet black cat, Crookshanks.


End file.
